School of Nursing and Health Professions

General Application Procedures

Health Professions

Courses in health career programs are offered in a sequence which begins in the Fall Semester (unless indicated otherwise in the application procedures listed on the program sequence pages).

Admission each year is limited to the number of openings in each program. Those students applying and meeting all of the specific admission requirements will be admitted in the order in which completed applications are received.

Those who wish to apply for any of these programs must complete the following general procedures. Also see the program sequence page(s) for additional application requirements.

1. Submit a completed Application for Admission to Cuyahoga Community College, unless you have previously applied. Prior Tri-C students who have not been enrolled for three years or longer must submit an application for Admission/Readmission to Tri-C. See page 20 for information on applying to Tri-C.
2. Contact the high school from which you graduated or the agency that issued your GED and have them send an official transcript directly to the Office of the Registrar at Tri-C (P.O. Box 5966, Cleveland, OH 44101-0966).
3. Contact all colleges/universities you have attended and have them send an official transcript(s) directly to the Office of the Registrar at Tri-C. To ensure time for processing, the transcript should be received at Tri-C at least six to eight weeks prior to the time you expect to apply to the health career program. Applicants who have attended institutions outside the U.S. must contact the Office of the Registrar for special procedures.
4. Complete all required courses and meet the grade point average (GPA) requirement as specified on the program sequence page(s). If you have not earned college credit for an English or Math course through Tri-C, Advanced Placement, Credit for Prior Learning, or another college or university, you must take the English and Math assessment tests to determine your placement in these subjects. The semester English and Math courses indicated on the program sequence page(s) are the minimum levels for eligibility. In addition to academic requirements, programs may also require certain kinds of experience or other criteria. Refer to the program sequence page(s) for additional information.
5. Submit the program's application form to the Health Careers Enrollment Center (Metropolitan Campus, MHCS 193, Cleveland, OH 44115). Please note that additional documents may be required to accompany your application form (such as additional copies of high school and college/university transcripts, even if already on file in the Office of the Registrar). You will receive directions concerning additional documents when you obtain the program's application form. Call 216-987-4247 to obtain an application.
   Any falsification of information provided in the application will automatically disqualify applicant for admission to a program.

Courses used as prerequisites or core courses for the Health Career and Nursing programs MUST have a traditional letter grade. The Pass/No Pass (P/NP) grading option for prerequisites and core courses will NOT be accepted by the Health Career and Nursing programs. Students are responsible for consulting with their program manager or counselor to determine P/NP grading options.

Required Criminal Background Check (BCI)

All health career programs at Tri-C are considered selective admission programs. These programs have a limited number of openings each year and have specific admission requirements that must be met prior to admission. The completion of a criminal background check is one of the admission requirements to a Health Career program. The background checks are required in order to:

1. ascertain the ability of students to eventually become licensed, registered and/or certified in their health career profession and
2. the ability of the students to attend mandatory clinical, practicum and/or internship rotations at internal and external facilities in accordance with the requirements of the applicable program of study.

Please see http://www.tri-c.edu/programs/healthcareers/Pages/BackgroundCheckInformation.aspx for important information regarding the BCI requirements and processes.

Required Immunizations

All students enrolled in Health Career programs may be required to receive or have sufficient proof of certain immunizations. See your program manager for a list of required immunizations for your program.

Transition to New Math Curriculum

In order to provide students enrolled prior to Fall 2016 with an appropriate transition period for to the state-mandated changes in the College’s mathematics curriculum, the following “grandfathering” time periods have been established:

• For Graduation: MATH-1141, MATH-1200, and MATH-1280 completed prior to Fall 2016 and MATH-1270 completed prior to Summer 2017 will meet the College’s Math Requirement for graduation through Summer 2021.
• For Admission to Selective Admission Programs: For students admitted to begin these programs no later than Fall 2019, MATH-1141, MATH-1200 or MATH-1280 completed prior to Fall 2016 and MATH-1270 completed prior to Summer 2017 will be accepted to meet the Math requirements for admission to these programs.

Definition of Eligibility

Eligibility for a specific course may be demonstrated by any of the following:

1. Completion of Tri-C’s assessment with a score appropriate for placement into the specific course listed; OR
2. Completion of the prerequisite for the course listed with a grade of “C” or higher (including equivalent courses transferred from another college or university); OR
3. Completion of the course listed with a grade of “C” or higher (including equivalent courses transferred in from another college or university).

Quarter Courses

Quarter courses may still be applied to meet degree requirements. Schedule an appointment with a counselor to determine eligible quarter courses for specific degree programs.

Nursing (Associate of Applied Science Degree)
Nursing ACCESS in Nursing (LPN-RN Track)
Practical Nurse Program (Certificate of Proficiency)

Effective Fall 2020, all Nursing students will need to apply to the Associate of Applied Science Degree program in Nursing.  Students who successfully complete the first year of the program will be awarded a certificate of proficiency in practical nursing and are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN.

Admission each year is limited to the number of openings in each program. Those students meeting all of the specific admission requirements will be provided with an application and admitted in the order in which completed applications are received.

Those who wish to apply for any of these programs must complete the following general procedures. Additional requirements for each program are listed with the program sequence.

1. Submit a completed Application for Admission or Readmission to Cuyahoga Community College. Prior Tri-C students who have not been enrolled for three years or longer must submit an Application for Admission/ Readmission to Tri-C. Online admission at www.tri-c.edu.
2. Contact the high school from which you graduated or the agency that issued your GED and have them send an official transcript(s) directly to the Office of the Registrar, P. O. Box 5966, Cleveland, OH 44101-0966.
3. Contact all colleges/universities you have attended and have them send an official transcript directly to the Office of the Registrar at Tri-C. To ensure time for processing, the official transcript(s) should be received by the Office of the Registrar at least four weeks prior to contacting the Nursing department. Applicants who have attended institutions outside the U.S. must contact the Enrollment Center for special procedures. It is strongly recommended that all students schedule an appointment with a counselor at their campus of record.
4. Complete all required courses and meet the grade point average (GPA) requirements as specified in the program admissions requirements. If you have not earned college credit for an English or Math course through Tri-C, Advanced Placement, Credit for Prior Learning, or another college or university, you must take the English and Math assessment tests to determine your placement in these subjects. The semester English and Math courses listed on the program sequence pages are the minimum levels for eligibility.
5. In addition to academic requirements, Generic ADN applicants are required to take The Health Education Systems Inc. Admission Assessment Exam-A2 (HESI A2) as part of the application process for entry into the Associate Degree Nursing Program. Students can complete the A2 at any time during the application process, but must complete it prior to being authorized to register for NURS 1010-Introduction to Patient Care Concepts and must achieve a minimum score of 75% on the Math and English** sections for consideration for the program. One attempt can be made per month. If a 2nd attempt is needed only the section(s) below 75% needs to be completed. It is important to plan and register for the HESI exam in a timely manner, as day/timeslots for taking the exam sometimes fill quickly and you may need to register a couple of months in advance of an available testing date.  It also takes 4-6 weeks for test scores to be processed and sent to the nursing department.  Learn more here about the exam and how to register.  Effective June 1, 2020 applicants with an Associate Degree or higher are not required to take the HESI A2 exam.  LPN to RN applicants are required to take The Health Education Systems Inc. LPN-ADN Mobility Exam. Students can complete the HESI LPN-ADN Mobility Exam at any time during the application process, but must complete it prior to beginning NURS 1260 – LPN Transitions II and achieve a minimum score of 850.  There is a limit of 1 attempt per month and 2 attempts in a 12-month period.
6. Once all prerequisites have been completed, student may submit an Online Request for Review, or via email at nursing@tri-c.edu. Potential applicants will receive written notification regarding eligibility for the program.

7. A background check (finger printing and court search) must be completed no sooner than six months prior to entry into the program. (Program entry is defined as the first day of class in which the student begins the nursing program).  See below section on background checks for more detailed information.

Any falsification of information provided in the application will automatically disqualify applicant for admission to a program.

All courses required for the Nursing programs MUST have a traditional letter grade, including the admissions requirements. The P/NP grading option will NOT be accepted by the Nursing programs.

Required Criminal Background check (BCI)

The completion of a criminal background check (BCI) is one of the admission requirements to the nursing program. The background check is required to ascertain (I) the ability of students to eventually become licensed in the profession and (II) the ability of students to attend mandatory clinical rotations at external facilities in accordance with the requirements of the program.

Because a criminal history can have different effects at the educational, licensure, and employment levels, when a person is considering pursuing a nursing career, it is best to have as much information as possible prior to deciding to enroll in a nursing program. The Board encourages individuals who have criminal histories and who are interested in pursuing a nursing career to: (1) Contact approved nursing education programs and ask about the programs’ enrollment criteria with respect to criminal convictions; (2) Review the criminal history information available on the Board’s website under the Criminal Records Check, and (3) Contact healthcare facilities and inquire about hiring criteria with respect to criminal convictions.  https://nursing.ohio.gov/licensing-certification-ce/

Effective January 12, 2013, the BCI process may begin no sooner than six months prior to entry into the program. (Program entry is defined as the first day of class in which the student begins the nursing program). 

The BCI must be completed, reviewed and cleared prior to full acceptance into the program. The BCI will be valid as long as the student is continually enrolled in the nursing program. Students who leave and return to the program may be required to complete another BCI check. 

Background checks completed by another vendor, employer, or while enrolled at another school/institution will not be accepted.

For general information on student BCIs please see:

http://www.tri-c.edu/programs/healthcareers/Pages/BackgroundCheckInformation.aspx

Transition to New Math Curriculum

In order to provide students enrolled prior to Fall 2016 with an appropriate transition period for to the state-mandated changes in the College’s mathematics curriculum, the following “grandfathering” time periods have been established:

• For Graduation: MATH-1141, MATH-1200, & MATH-1280 completed prior to Fall 2016 and MATH-1270 completed prior to Summer 2017 will meet the College’s Math Requirement for graduation through Summer 2021.
• For Admission to Selective Admission Programs: For students admitted to begin these programs prior to Fall 2019, MATH-1141, MATH-1200 or MATH-1280 completed prior to Fall 2016 and MATH-1270 completed prior to Summer 2017 will be accepted to meet the Math requirements for admission to these programs.